Coffee and food aren’t usually seen as a pairing. Navneet Mendiratta learns how to match the drink with French cuisine
Each one of us is used to an instant coffee format but is that real coffeeIJ Coffee aficionados will tell you that real coffee, like tea, does not dissolve easily. So what you are getting in the market is just a chemical coffee extract, with some aroma thrown in. Coffee is extremely perishable. Post roasting, it loses its aroma when it comes in contact with air. This is also the reason why baristas are becoming popular as they brew you fresh coffee rich in aroma and flavour.
The next best thing to going to a barista is a Nespresso capsule. Bonhomia is that first Indian coffee capsule brand in India that brings you interesting blends of Arabica and Robusta. At a recent tasting at le Bistro Du Parc in Delhi, Tuhin Jain, CMO, Bonhomia and Naina de Bois-Juzan of le Bistro paired some of their finest flavours with French food. We bring you some notes.
Coffee: Free love (Served as an Espresso Shot)
Notes: Made with 100 per cent Arabica, extracted from high-altitude beans of South India. This espresso shot comes with a nice golden layer on top, a sign of a good espresso. So if you get a rich, dark-looking espresso, send it back, it is stale. It is a smooth blend with intensity four. It has got a very nice, tingling after-taste, a hint of dried apricot in terms of aroma. It is very smooth on the palate.
Paired with: Amuse bouche (finger food), a tomato tartar, refreshed with lemon juice, espelette pepper and basil served on a slice of white vinegar marinated white radish.
Footnote: Coffee should never be boiled at 100 degrees. The temperature should only be at 85-90 degrees, which a barista ensures by checking with a thermometer from time to time.
Coffee: Vanilla Artisan blend (served as Macchiato)
Notes: Part of the dessert coffee range. Coffee is infused with vanilla flavouring right at the blending stage. It is sweeter in notes and goes beautifully with sweet treats. Has a smooth, velvety flavour. No need to add sugar.
Paired with: A platter of madeleine, almond financiers, meringues and fruits.
Footnote: Coffee has sweet notes, which often get killed. Ask for a vanilla coffee at a café and what you get is cappuccino with a shot of artificial vanilla syrup added to it. For those who want more, Bonhomia is also offering a chocolate flavour.
Coffee: Black veil (served as Cappuccino)
Notes: Complex coffee with intense notes. Overpowering on the palate for those who love a really strong dose.
Paired with: Fully constructed bite of puff pastry, with inside layers of black olive tapenade, confit peppers and sauteed zucchini with garlic and thyme.
Footnote: Coffee has 700 notes, wine in comparison has only 100. And that explains the bouquet of rich aromas that tickle the soul.
Coffee: Dark deeds (served as Americano)
Notes: A stronger blend of Arabica and Robusta which is particularly a favourite with the expats. It is intensity eight. It is strong blend with a little bit of acidity to it. It is also spicy as a blend. It goes as very good Americano, strong espresso and even as a nespresso.
Paired with: Freshness of romaine leaf, stuffed with goat cheese, dill and crunchy parmesan tuile on top is brought out best in terms of flavours when it comes to pairing with coffee. It is served on a hot bread toast, rubbed with garlic and virgin olive oil.
Footnote: Arabica beans have a sweeter note to them, while Robusta tends to take on more woody, spicy note depending on the process they go through.